23 May 1935 – 4 Dec 2010
Wife of Paul Marshall Cardon
St. George, Utah – Gayla Barker Cardon, age 75, returned peacefully to her Heavenly Father on December 4, 2010, with family members by her side.
She was born May 23, 1935 in Escalante, Utah to Theo Barker and Nell Davis Barker.
Gayla was raised in Escalante, Utah, with her siblings – older brother Hal Barker (deceased) and younger sister Betty Jean Barker of St. George, Utah.
Gayla married Paul Marshall Cardon on May 23, 1955, for time and eternity in the Manti LDS Temple. Paul’s first wife died in 1954, leaving him with four children – two grown up and two still living at home. Gayla cared for her stepchildren, and she and Paul also raised two sons and a daughter of their own.
During the early years of their marriage, Gayla and Paul moved to where there was work – Salt Lake City and Kanab, Utah; South and North Dakota; and finally to St. George in the early 1960’s. Gayla wanted to raise their family in their own home, so to help pay for a house, she went to work for Wilkinson Electric and Lighting about 1966 and worked there for 35 years. She was loved and respected by many builders and developers in Southwest Utah for her knowledge and assistance in choosing materials, lighting, and appliances for new homes and renovations.
Gayla cherished her children and grandchildren and always made sure they felt welcome in her home. Over the years, Gayla became the true matriarch of her extended family, and she and Paul often welcomed grandchildren to stay in their home for extended periods as they searched for purpose in life or dealt with life’s challenges. She was always loving, non-judgmental and available for help and advice. She has blessed many young lives.
Gayla loved gardening and enjoyed the attached greenhouse on the back of her home. She also spent several years doing family history and looked forward to performing weekly ordinance work at the St. George LDS Temple.
Gayla is survived by her stepsons: Ferrel G. (Nancy) Roundy of Taft, California, Paul Michael (Karen) Cardon of Ithaca, New York; her children: Bruce Charles (Jacqueline) Cardon of St. George, Utah, Phillip William (Dana) Cardon of Wasilla, Alaska and Susan (Mike) Smith of St. George, Utah; a sister, Betty Jean Barker of St. George, Utah; 13 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.
Gayla was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Marshall Cardon (2002); her brother, Hal Barker (1992); and stepdaughters: LaDean Stojakovich (1961) and Joan Wagner Mulando (2003).
Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. at the Metcalf Mortuary Chapel, 288 West St. George Blvd., St. George, Utah.
Visitations will be held Wednesday, December 8th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. prior to services, both at the Mortuary.
Interment will be at the Tonaquint Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest next to her husband. We all love and will miss her.
Arrangements entrusted to the care of Metcalf Mortuary, 435-673-4221.
-Published in The Saint George Spectrum, Saint George, Utah, Wednesday, December 8, 2010, Page A4.